Giuliettas

As of 8/11/10 there are 39 Sprint Veloce’s on the register that are confirmed to exist.  21 of the cars on the register have links to photo sets.

Sprint Veloce Alleggertia racing in France. Check out Saffier de Bard, lots of great period pictures to be found.
The appearance of the Sprint Veloce was inevitable. Creating an even faster version of an existing sports car to take racing was standard practice among auto makers who raced in the 1950’s. This seems to be especially true of the Italians who perfected this approach to car building. You can almost imagine the scene after Alfa debuted the Giulietta Sprint in the racing world only to be beaten by Porsches in the same class.

The first line is the Fusi stated range for the year and the following are numbers on cars that have been reported. d’Amico and Tabucchi have some differences listed and I’ll try and work them in later. Eventually as enough data points become available I’ll modify or remove the year/range headings and provide a better view of the flow of things at Alfa and particularly Bertone in through these production runs. An entry ending in Ref. is for an important car which may or may not exist.

Veloce’s were marked 750E here on the build plate along with the body and engine number. 750 Veloce’s all have 1315*3XXXX engine numbers.

Bertone body numbers for the Veloce’s were changed to start with 77 rather than the 65 used on Normales. The total of ~610 comes from the body number explanation for 750B’s. I’ve never seen a non lightweight Veloce below about chassis number 6000.

Body shape of the Alleggerita Sprint Veloce’s is the same as the Normales. Aluminum doors hood and trunk were used, but not necessarily on all of these cars. Badges were updated as seen here.

There was only one guiding principal at work on the Sprint Veloce: go faster (and beat the Porsche’s)! With this in mind, both sides of the power balance equation were adjusted. The engine power output side of the equation was increased by using Weber 40DCO3’s, higher lift cams and a shaved head (among many other things), and the various factors on the other side of the equals sign that are multiplied by velocity were reduced. Or, if you prefer, the engine was tuned to increase power and the rest of the car was tuned to remove weight, rolling resistance and drag.

Compare this to a Normale door panel. The window itself going from glass to plexi doesn’t save much weight, but the winder mechanism and associated brackets and controls are massively heavy for the job they have to perform. Almost looks like a British roadster removable side curtain. This particular car was ordered by the prince of Sweden new with various non-lightweight feature as a hopped up road car, rather than the out and out racer the Veloce was originally intended to be.

The tuned engine of the Veloce had a higher redline (rev limit) so they made a special tachometer with a 6600 rpm redline that went up to 8000 rather than the 6200 redline/7000 limit of the Normale. Other interior details included the omission of the choke knob and glove box door (this car was specially ordered to include both) and supposedly lighter weight construction seats.

Veloce final drive was changed to 10:41 from 9:41 to take advantage of the increased power and provide for a higher top speed. The typical use for a Veloce was a race like the Targa Florio or Mille Miglia, a long distance road race, so the fuel capacity was increased from 56 liters (14.8 US gallons) to 84 liters (22.2 US gallons). Thats 28 Kilograms or 61.7 pounds more fuel carried. These little cars are all about conservation of momentum so I doubt it mattered much. Note that most of the volumetric increase was achieved by growing the tank in the direction of the rear axle keeping it low and as near the center of the car as possible. This growth of the fuel tank necessitated the rear emergency brake cable and yoke type set up seen here.

While this car is a fake Veloce from back when owners felt the addition of side draft Webers allowed for the use of this badge, they did get the rear circular badge correct in that they left off the chrome over brass base that goes under this badge. A detail that is usually overlooked by restorers of real Veloces, who tend to add this little trim bit.

1956

750E 1493*01380 – 03545, 1315*30001 – 30266

Sprint 750E 1493*01380, 1315*30001. 1956/04/24. Ref.

Sprint 750E 1493*01461, 1315*30006. 1956/04/24. Ref.

Sprint 750E 1493*01613, 1315*30011. 1956/04/21. Ref.

Sprint 750E 1493*01722, 1315*30025. 1956/05/03. 77025. AR501.

Sprint 750E 1493*01806. 77034.

Sprint 750E 1493*01819. 1956/05/05. Scaglietti rebody. MIA. Ref.

Sprint 750E 1493*01849, 1315*30046. 1956/05/05. Rebodied by Zagato. Ref.

Sprint 750E 1493*01862. Ref.

Sprint 750E 1493*01889, 1315*30048. 1956/05/19. 77048. 1956/05/27 first race.

Sprint 750E 1493*01944, 1315*30059. 1956/04/24. Zagato rebody. Ref.

Sprint 750E 1493*02028, 1315*30074. 1956/04/24. Telaio + engine used on Zagato rebody of 1493*06936. Ref.

Sprint 750E 1493*02158. 1956/06/20. Zagato rebody. Ref.

Sprint 750E 1493*02209. 77111. USA.

Sprint 750E 1493*02289. 1956/07/06. Zagato rebody. Ref.

Sprint 750E 1493*02239. 77117.

Sprint 750E 1493*02277.

Sprint 750E 1493*02308. 1956/06/19. Zagato rebody. Ref.

Sprint 750E 1493*02348. 1956/07/04. Zagato rebody.

Sprint 750E 1493*02488. 1956/07/14. Zagato rebody.

Sprint 750E 1493*02508. Sweden.

Sprint 750E 1493*02578. 77184. Italy. ’08 MM #310.

Sprint 750E 1493*03409. USA.

1957

750E 1493*03546 – 04718, 1315*30267 – 30761

Sprint 750E 1493*03559, 1315*30279. 1957/01/4. 77265 or 77285. UK.

Sprint 750E 1493*03613. 1957/01/03. Zagato rebody. USA.

Sprint 750E 1493*03798, 1315*30552.

Sprint 750E 1493*03807, 1315*30359. 1957/02/05.

Sprint 750E 1493*03808. Italy. ’08 MM.

Sprint 750E 1493*03877. 77336.

Sprint 750E 1493*03907. 1957/02/26. Zagato rebody. Ref.

Sprint 750E 1493*03999.

Sprint 750E 1493*04045. 1957/03/01. Zagato rebody.

Sprint 750E 1493*04067, 1315*30393. 1957/03/01. M59.77393. Sweden.

Sprint 750E 1493*04069. 1957/03/21. Zagato rebody. Japan.

Sprint 750E 1493*04118, 1315*30452. USA.

Sprint 750E 1493*04127. 77411.

Sprint 750E 1493*04159, 1315*30442 (original) 1315*30598 (now). 77422. M558.

Sprint 750E 1493*04227.

Sprint 750E 1493*04229.

Sprint 750E 1493*04238, 1315*30468.

Sprint 750E 1493*04239, 1315*30449. Japan.

Sprint 750E 1493*04249. 1957/03/17. Zagato rebody. India.

Sprint 750E 1493*04347, 1315*30526. M60.5/27/57. 77468.

Sprint 750E 1493*04447, 1315*30528. 77498. M136.

Sprint 750E 1493*04547, 1315*30622.

Sprint 750E 1493*04637, 1315*30635. Now: 1315*32359. 1957/06/14. Japan.

Sprint 750E 1493*04657. 1957/06/19. Zagato rebody. Germany.

Sprint 750E 1493*04700, 1315*30481. 1957/04/19. 77500. Conrero.

Sprint 750E 1493*04717. 1957/06/22. Zagato rebody. Ref.

Sprint 750E 1493*04718. 1957/08/03. Zagato then Michelotti rebody.

As 8/11/10 there are 59 first series 750B Sprints on the register.

See. It’s like our 1900 Sprint only smaller.

The 20th of April, 1954 the Sprint debuted at the ‘Salon de Torino’ car show. To generate interest a lottery was held where they were going to give away 50 cars (or was it 200?) to lucky winners. I don’t know that anyone ever received a ‘lottery’ Sprint but I have read that the winners were called but no cars were ready to give away. Public anticipation for the car is said to have been intense. Nuccio Bertone has been quoted as saying that if he had known how many Sprints Bertone would eventually have to build he would not have accepted the contract.

A wooden ‘buck’ was used to give body panels their shape. A craftsman beat metal panels by hand on this. I don’t know how many of these bucks Bertone had in their workshops, not many I suspect. It’s possible, highly probably in fact, that if you own a 750 Sprint, its panels were formed on this.

The first Sprint prototype. A chick magnet even then.

In 1954 Giulietta Sprint 750B chassis numbers 1493*00011 – 00023 are recorded by Fusi. Prototypes definitely existed, I have seen pictures of several besides that seen above, but I am not certain whether these have chassis numbers that are included in this range.

Specifications from the 1954 Sprint brochure:
Cylinders: 4
Bore: 74mm
Stroke: 75mm
Cylinder capacity: 1290 cc
Power at 6000 r.p.m.: 65 HP
Wheel-base: 7 ft. 10 ins.
Track: 4 ft. 2 ins.
Overall length: 12 ft. 9 ins.
Weight empty: 1980 pounds
Maximum speed: 100 m.p.h.
Fuel Consumption
(CUNA standards): 36 m.p.g.
Tyres: 155 x 15
Electrical Equipment: 12 volt

Early advertising photograph of a 1954 Giulietta Sprint 750B in front of the ‘Arco Di Trionfo’ in Milan.

Here’s how the numbers are supposed to look. 750 B Sprints had body numbers starting with 1493 and engines of type 1315*0XXXX. Bertone body numbers started with 65, which can barely be seen above. Early on the Alfa assigned body number closely tracked the Bertone assigned body number but by the end of the run, it lagged by an average of 611 which Is why I say ~6000 of this series of Sprint were built.

750B 1493*00349, 1315*00364, Bertone body 65345. Typical early car front with small headlights, ‘eyebrow’ grill trim and one piece center grill. Earliest cars are said to have aluminum hood and trunk lids.

Same car as above. Note that dash is body color, that the knobs for the controls are a bit different than later cars and it’s column shift. I read frequent commentary to the effect that column shift was rare for these cars, I think the earlier the car, the more likely it is to be column shift. I’d be surprised if less than a quarter of this series Sprint were column shift Cambio Volante.

Another early dash, this one in 1493*01149. Horn button looks like later style to me with horn and flasher built into the same button. Note this car is also column shift. I don’t have any pictures of an early car that is not column shift.

Same car as above. This is what the early door panels looked like. Cream colored insert is textured cloth, blue is vinyl of some sort.

The earliest style tail light.

An early 750B engine. Most easily identified by the fuel pump above the water pump and the in-hose thermostat. Tudor washer bottles as seen here are hard to find. If one gets deep into the mechanical parts book for the Giulietta, there are small differences to be found among the first 1000 or so cars. They changed carbs and manifolds a couple of times, but the basic 750 series engine was nearly perfect right from the beginning.

Rare -and some would say for good reason- factory light green.  Mauro Baroni took this picture!

1954

750B 1493*00011 – 00023, 1315*00001 – 00012

Sprint 750B 1493*00071, 1315*00039. 1954/12/xx.

1955

750B 1493*00024 – 01438, 1315*00013 – 01430

Sprint 750B 1493*00024. 1955/1/5. England.

Sprint 750B 1493*00159. AR301. Italy

Sprint 750B 1493*00349, 1315*00364, 65345. Sweden.

Sprint 750B 1493*00396. Sweden.

Sprint 750B 1493*00555, 1315*00541, 1955/07/04/. 65549. AR501.

Sprint 750B 1493*00656, 1315*00648, 65650

Sprint 750B 1493*00668, 1315*00744. USA. M298.

Sprint 750B 1493*00871. UK.

Sprint 750B 1493*00977, 1315*01023, 65970

Sprint 750B 1493*01139. Italy. ’08 MM.

Sprint 750B 1493*01149. 651149. 1955/11/26. England. M98.

Sprint 750B 1493*01325. Project, UK.

Sprint 750B 1493*01365, 1315*01432. USA. M251.

Sprint 750B 1493*01398. 651389. AR501. Column Shift. USA.

1956

750B 1493*01439 – 03545, 1315*01431 – 03285

Sprint 750B 1493*01521. 1956/01/13. Zagato rebody. Belgium.

Sprint 750B 1493*01682, 1315*01758.USA. M242.

Sprint 750B 1493*01687. Joop. Race seats/roll cage. 101 tail lights

Sprint 750B 1493*01840, 1315*01821. Italy.

Sprint 750B 1493*01864. 651809, M32.

Sprint 750B 1493*01885, 1315*01862. Column shift. USA.

Sprint 750B 1493*01996. 651916, Italy

Sprint 750B 1493*02095, 1315*02131. 1956/05/08. 652001. AR501. Portugal.

Sprint 750B 1493*02231. Switzerland.

Sprint 750B 1493*02243.

Sprint 750B 1493*02563. 652375.

Sprint 750B 1493*02864, 1315*02723. 652658. USA.

Sprint 750B 1493*02880. Column Shift. USA.

Sprint 750B 1493*03146, 1315*03053. Now 1315*40174. M58.

Sprint 750B 1493*03148. Column Shift.

Sprint 750B 1493*03176. 652968.

Sprint 750B 1493*03396. USA. Column Shift. M255.

Sprint 750B 1493*03443, 1315*03449. Europe.

Sprint 750B 1493*03455, 00109*02385. 653204. 1956/12/05. AR706. South Africa.

Sprint 750B 1493*03510, 1315*03211. 1956/10/12.

Sprint 750B 1493*03511. 1956/10/12.

1957

Sprint 750B, 1493*03546 – 06008, 1315*03286 – 05400

Sprint 750B 1493*03822, 1315*03887.M23.

Sprint 750B 1493*03881, 1315*03358. 653137.

Sprint 750B 1493*04045. M175. Belgium.

Sprint 750B 1493*04327, 1315*03847. 653855.M30.

Sprint 750B 1493*04421. 653922. UK Project.

Sprint 750B 1493*04791, 1315*04321. 1957/07/03. USA.

Sprint 750B 1493*04813, 1315*04310. 654203. M144. USA.

Sprint 750B 1493*04891, 1315*04348. M48. USA.

Sprint 750B 1493*04953. Mexico. M68.

Sprint 750B 1493*05021, 1315*04456. 1957/07/18(?). 654410.

Below (in green) are from the pages of the Sprint production log at the archive in Italy, a picture of which is in d’Amico and Tabucchi. City or Country listed is destination of car.

Sprint 1493*05053, 1315*04458. 1957/07/18. Roma. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05054, 1315*04539. 1957/07/22. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05055, 1315*04496. 1957/07/16. Roma. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05056, 1315*04536. 1957/07/22. Milano. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05057, 1315*04544. 1957/07/18. Padova. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05058, 1315*04577. 1957/07/22. Spagna. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05059, 1315*04509. 1957/07/25. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05060, 1315*04495. 1957/07/22. Roma. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05061, 1315*04515. 1957/07/18. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05062, 1315*04525. 1957/07/17. Napoli. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05064, 1315*04552. 1957/07/17. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05065, 1315*04478. 1957/07/22. Bologna. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05066, 1315*04531. 1957/07/23. Catania. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05067, 1315*04524. 1957/07/18. Napoli. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05068, 1315*04489. 1957/07/18. Milano. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05069, 1315*04563. 1957/07/26. Venezuela. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05070, 1315*04444. 1957/07/26. a. d&T Ref.

Sprint 1493*05071, 1315*04522. 1957/07/18. Milano. d&T Ref.

Sprint 750B 1493*05149, 1315*04554 (original) now Veloce engine. 1957/07/25. USA.

Sprint 750B 1493*05174. 654565(?).

Sprint 750B 1493*05262. 1957/08/xx. AR901. South Africa.

Sprint 750B 1493*05372.

Sprint 750B 1493*05388, 1315*04771. 1957/08/xx.

Below (in green) are from the pages of the Sprint production log at the archive in Italym, a picture of which is in Giuliettaletta 96. City or Country listed is destination of car.

Sprint 1493*05433, 1315*04877. 1957/09/14. Venezuela. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05434, 1315*04858. 1957/09/21. Belgio. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05435, 1315*04822. 1957/09/18. Padova. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05436, 1315*04793. 1957/09/16. Padova. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05437, 1315*04853. 1957/09/16. Padova. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05438, 1315*04787. 1957/09/24. Bologna. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05439, 1315*04879. 9/20/57. UK now. Francia. G96.

Sprint 1493*05440, 1315*04805. 9/16/57. Bologna. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05441, 1315*04894. 9/24/57. Casablanca. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05442, 1315*04899. 1957/09/26. Padova. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05443, 1315*04832. 1957/09/18. Padova. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05444, 1315*04836. 1957/09/18. Bologna. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05445, 1315*04866. 1957/09/20. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05446, 1315*04876. 1957/09/16. Milano. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05447, 1315*04884. 1957/09/18. Roma. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05448, 1315*04699. 1957/09/18. Padova. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05449, 1315*04812. 1957/09/18. Bologna. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05450, 1315*04888. 1957/09/23. Padova. G96. Ref.

Sprint 1493*05451, 1315*05047. 1957/10/11. Francia. G96. Ref.

Sprint 750B 1493*05588. 654477(?).

Sprint 750B 1493*05684. Zagato(?) rebody. Japan.

Sprint 750B 1493*05704, 1315*05174. 655104. 1957/11/05. AR706. USA.

Sprint 750B 1493*05833. 655220.

Sprint 750B 1493*05880. 1957/11/28. 655288. South Africa.

Sprint 750B 1493*05931. 1957/11/29.

1958

750B 1493*06009 – 06611, 1315*05401 – 06903

Sprint 750B 1493*06150. AR501. Denmark.

Sprint 750B 1493*06227, 1315*05611. 1958/01/21. AR706. NL.

Sprint 750B 1493*06246. 655634.

Sprint 750B 1493*06248, 1315*05668. 655636. M494.

Sprint 750B 1493*06329, 1315*05724. 655717.M9

Sprint 750B 1493*06344. 655732

Sprint 750B 1493*06355. UK.

Sprint 750B 1493*06359. USA.

Sprint 750B 1493*06440. UK.

Sprint 750B 1493*06446. USA.

Illustration of the first 1315 engine as found in the Sprint. Note intake manifold is ‘thermostat in hose’ type, early style air box and tunnel case transmission.